Do teeth whitening strips and toothpastes really work?

The short answer to the question, "Do teeth whitening strips and toothpastes really work?" is, yes and no. 

Today, it is commonplace to see teeth whitening strips in the oral health care section of your local grocer and even online on such sites as Amazon.com. The most popular teeth whitening strips are from Crest, Listerine, and Rembrandt and can range in price from about $15 to $40. The active ingredients in these whitening strips is usually hydrogen peroxide and the concentration is usually between 2%-10% (Crest Whitestrips Premium being the highest) hydrogen peroxide.

All of these products generally work the same. Basically, you must wear the whitening strips one to two times a day (depending on the product) until the strips dissolve. You must wear the strips everyday for a couple of weeks until you start to see results, even though these companies claim that you can start to see results after only a couple of days. You must also make sure that the strips do not touch your gums otherwise you get a very mild chemical burn (its not as bad as it sounds, trust me) and possibly whiten your gums slightly.

I have used the Crest and Listerine brands, and have read many reviews about the Rembrandt whitening strips and I must say that I am not impressed with the results. The concentrations of the hydrogen peroxide for these brands is just not sufficient enough to produce good results. Crest is perhaps the only brand that has somewhere near the desired concentration (about 12% or higher) of hydrogen peroxide, even then you must use them everyday for several weeks. Also, the need to use them as a teeth whitening regimen for several weeks is hardly convenient and the results only last as long as you are using the whitening strips.

Now for the the teeth whitening toothpastes. There are numerous "teeth whitening toothpastes" on the market today. Most, if not all, of these so-called teeth whitening toothpastes do not have an active teeth whitening agent such as hydrogen or carbamide peroxide that chemically whitens your teeth. What they do have, however, are mild abrasives that grind of stains or colored particles to help restore your teeth to their natural white luster.

There are new options now, as many tanning/hair salons/spas offer teeth whitening at your convenience and at an affordable price as well. If you are an entrepreneur or hair/tanning salon/spa owner, and would like to offer this amazing service at your place of business, visit the home of Great Grinz, GGWhitening.com or go directly to GGWhitening.com/business-opportunites.html to get started today at little or no cost to you!

Thanks.

Copyright © Great Grinz
2009 All rights reserved

What's the Difference between the different teeth whitening methods?

This is a question that we hear all of the time, and in an attempt to answer this question, here is this post.

There are several different methods for teeth whitening and all have their very own distinct advantages and disadvantages. The three main teeth whitening methods are in-office teeth whitening, take-home teeth whitening, and over the counter teeth whitening.

In-office teeth whitening is performed by your dentist in his/her office. Your dentist usually uses one of three processes for teeth whitening: the BriteSmile® teeth whitening process, the Zoom!® teeth whitening process, and the laser teeth whitening process. These processes have all been rigorously tested and have proven in their effectiveness and safety. However, these processes are all expensive and require extensive preparation to protect your gums and lips.

The Zoom!® teeth whitening uses hydrogen peroxide levels in excess of 30% and uses a UV lamp to activate the whitening agent. The problem with this is that in such high concentrations hydrogen peroxide can damage gums and the UV light can essentially give your lips and gums a "sunburn." BriteSmile® also uses high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, somewhere between 15%-20% and uses a laser to activate the whitening agent. Both methods, along with traditional laser whitening systems, take about an hour to take full effect and can effectively drain your bank account. BriteSmile® costs anywhere from about $300 and up, the Zoom!® process costs about $600 and up, and traditional laser teeth whitening can range into the thousands. With these in-office whitening methods you can expect to see about 7-9 shades difference in your smile.


Take-home teeth whitening kits from your dentist can be a more cost-effective means of having your dentist whiten your teeth, albeit more time consuming. Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth and have form-fitting trays made for you to take home and apply the teeth whitening yourself and sleep with it in for a few weeks to a couple of months. The disadvantage of this is that you must stick to your regimen for many weeks to see entire results and it takes a couple of weeks of waiting after your initial visit to the dentist before you can get started. With these whitening take-home trays you can expect to see about 5 shades difference in your smile.


The last and seemingly most economical teeth whitening option is to purchase over-the-counter teeth whitening strips or teeth whitening trays. The whitening strips (made by a variety of companies) usually start at about $20 and need to be used in a regular regiment from about two weeks to a month at your convenience. The teeth whitening trays are about the same price and are also amd eby a variety of companies as well and require the same sort of regimen. Even though the teeth whitening strips and trays are the cheaper alternative to the previous mentioned teeth whitening methods, they are perhaps the least effective. The strips and trays only cover your front teeth and also have a lower concentration of peroxide and therefore take many times longer for you to see and difference in your smile, which may be at the most of 2 shades difference. Another problem is that these are difficult to use. The strips usually stick to your gums or fingers (and in many cases causing them to turn white) and the trays are messy because most of the time the teeth whitening gel has spilled in the package.

Now, however, there is a new option. Great Grinz offers teeth whitening at a very competetive price and an extreme conveniece to you. Great Grinz offers teeth whitening services in tanning/hair spas/salons. Starting at just $100 you can expect to see a difference of several shades and you can whiten your teeth while tanning, getting your nails done, or even while you are waiting to get your hair cut! If you are a spa/salon owner, or are an entrepreneur that wishes to start your own teeth whitening business, you can visit Great Grinz' business opportunities page on GGWhitening.com to get started on this amazing opportunity at little to not cost to you!

Whatever method you choose, make sure to visit your dentist first to ensure that you are good candidate for teeth whitening and that you do not have any current dental problems that could cause you any pain or sensitivity. The good thing is that nearly everyone is a good candidate except for women who are pregnant or nursing because there have not been any studies done to determine if there are any side effects from the teeth whitening agents.

Thanks.



Copyright © Great Grinz
2009 All rights reserved

Teeth Whitening Tips!

While this post is titled "Teeth Whitening Tips!", an alternate title could be "Teeth Whitening Common Sense!". Although there are useful tips that are provided in this post, some of it is just plain old common sense. So listen up and we'll help you on your way to whiter teeth and hopefully with some of our tips you can avoid some discomfort and pain while we're at it.

Teeth whitening works very much in the same way as bleaching hair or clothes. The bleaching process is very similar between all three of these processes in that the whitening agent (either hydrogen or crabamide peroxide for teeth whitening) reacts with light reflecting molecules (also known as chromophores) breaking down the chemical bonds in these molecules causing them to break down into a different substance and no longer absorbing visible light. The whitening agent also kills stain causing bacteria making your teeth appear whiter. The sun is also a whitening agent, which is why over time the color of a car’s paint will change and is the reason why lights are used in the teeth whitening process as well.

The problem with using chemical whitening agents with teeth whitening is not that they are dangerous (because they are not, especially at the concentrations that are used) is that they can cause sensitivity to teeth and gums alike. Most of this sensitivity and/or pain can be avoided ahead of whitening your teeth. How? By going to the dentist of course! Your dentist can spot out problems such as cavities, leaky fillings, or any other issues that you may have. The reason for doing this is teeth whitening works by the bleaching agent being absorbed by the enamel and oxidizing the stains on the dentin underneath. If you have any sort of dental problems, they can become very painful if exposed to the teeth whitening agent. If you go to the dentist ahead of teeth whitening, you can cut down the amount of pain to almost ZERO!

Another tip is not only to watch what you drink, but HOW you drink it! If you want to have an amazingly white smile, it’s not a good idea to drink dark colored beverages such as cola, coffee, tea, and even red wine. The same molecules that make these beverages a dark color will also make your teeth dark. By avoiding these beverages you can help keep your teeth looking their whitest. We know that it is nearly impossible to avoid dark colored beverages, so we recommend that if you do drink dark colored beverages, drink them through a straw. The reason is to limit the beverage from coming into contact with your teeth, to keep the discoloring to a minimum. Although, you will look pretty silly drinking wine through a straw!

Another tip is to watch what you eat. Certain foods actually help whiten and clean your teeth. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry ® (AACD), foods such as apples, pears, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers produce saliva which helps kill staining bacteria. An added benefit of eating these foods is that they contain fiber which actually physically removes bacteria and cleans teeth at the same time!

Lastly, nasty habits such as smoking produce staining molecules that attach themselves to teeth while the smoke is being inhaled. These molecules are difficult (but not impossible) to remove. By quitting this habit, not only will you save money, but you will also be able to keep your teeth whiter for a much longer time.

By following these simple tips, you will be able to keep your teeth healthy and white for a much longer time. Don’t forget though, that as time progresses your teeth will naturally loose their luster and will need an occasional whitening to help bring them back to their previous brilliance. For more information, please visit Great Grinz’ main page GGWhitening.com. Also, if you are interested in adding teeth whitening services to your existing business or starting your very own teeth whitening business, you can visit our business opportunities page to get started.

Thanks.

Copyright © Great Grinz

2009 All rights reserved

Why Teeth Turn Yellow

In recent years cosmetic teeth whitening has become THE number one patient requested dental procedure and according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry ® (AACD) consumer demand for teeth whitening has increased by over 300% since 1996. A beautiful bright smile can instill confidence and is often associated with health and beauty which is why we have seen such huge increase in the demand for teeth whitening. Many people seek the answer on how to get their teeth whiter but few ask why their teeth yellow.

Teeth can turn yellow for several reasons: smoking, drinking dark colored beverages (coffee, tea, etc...), antibiotics (tetracycline for example), aging, and genetics as well. All of these factors can very well contribute to dulling of your smile and the yellowing of your teeth, but how exactly?

Cigarettes: Small molecules from cigarette smoke attach themselves to the enamel of smokers' teeth while the smoke is being inhaled. These molecules accumulate over time and leave an unsightly yellow stain on the teeth of smokers. These staining molecules are very difficult to remove and are the cause of the yellow stains on smokers' teeth.

Dark colored beverages: dark colored beverages yellow teeth in essentially the same manner as cigarettes. However, many dark colored beverages that we consume daily are slightly acidic which can aide in the teeth yellowing process. The acid breaks down portions of the enamel and over time, colored molecules attach themselves to the teeth. Also, the dentin is exposed through the slightly thinned enamel. Dentin is yellow in color and contributes to teeth yellowing as well.

Anitbiotics: antibiotics taken during childhood while teeth were developing can contribute to the discoloratoion or slight greying of teeth as well. This is especially difficult to remove since the discoloration takes place within the teeth themselves. This is not impossible to treat but requires more attention and perhaps more sessions to remove.

Genetics: genetics play a significant role in the color of your teeth. Your genetics help determine the thickness of the enamel on your teeth and how they react to their environment (i.e. your mouth and what you put in it). Enamel is naturally white and the thicker it is, the whiter your teeth can appear.

Aging: the enamel on your teeth naturally thins as we age. Again, thin enamel lets the yellow color of the dentin underneath come through, making your teeth appear yellow. This, however, should deter you from attempting to achieve the best (whitest) results that you can with your smile.

Rather, you can take hold and control of the color of your smile by controlling what you eat and drink, and abstain from habits that will discolor your teeth. Cosmetic teeth whitening is very effective and you can achieve fantastic results in just 20-40 minutes, but it is up to you to maintain that new white smile. After you have your teeth whitened, you should eat healthy foods as strawberries, cucumbers, and apples. These foods increase saliva which helps kill staining bacteria, and as an added bonus, the fiber in these foods also cleans your teeth!

If you are interested in teeth whitening information please visit us at GGWhitening.com. You can also request information about adding teeth whitening to your current business if you are a tanning spa/salonor hair spa/salon owner. Just visit our website and let us know. We also have packages for entrepreneurs wishing to start their very own teeth whitening business.

Thanks.

Copyright © Great Grinz
2009 All rights reserved

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Whiter Teeth Info

Teeth whitening has become the number one patient requested, cosmetic dental procedure in recent years, according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry®. Beautiful white teeth are a sign of youthfulness, health, and beauty. Many also feel that an attractive smile can be the clincher for a job interview, getting that first (or second) date, or even a boost to one's self-confidence.  

The problem is that teeth whitening has become prohibitively expensive for most people, especially now. Dentists can charge anywhere between $350-$650 or perhaps even more if one opts for laser teeth whitening. Many people simply cannot afford to have their professionally whitened either because of a recent job loss or perhaps even the fear of losing their job has kept countless people from achieving the beautiful white smile that they deserve. Shelling out $500 for a cosmetic procedure is just not an option for many people nowadays.

Until recently, the only other option people have had has been to buy over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening products that can be purchased in the grocery store. These can be great if one is willing to be very diligent in using those little whitening strips or pre-filled whitening trays for two weeks or more. There are many problems with both of these inconvenient options. The strips are little and if and stick to anything they touch, including lips, tongues, and gums. The pre-filled trays are also not a very good option as well. They are messy and the teeth whitening gel is usually not in the whitening trays. The whitening gel has usually spilled all over the packaging. Sadly, both of these products are also not very effective. Neither the strips nor the pre-loaded trays whiten more than a shade or two (at best) and teeth only stay as white as long as one uses the product.

Luckily, through advances in science and dentistry, a new alternative has arrived. A more reliable, cost effective, and convenient alternative has arrived. People can now have their teeth whitened with the results of a dentist, but with competitive market prices and without the hassle of going to a dentist. Using only the most advanced and safest lights in the industry, Great Grinz provides cosmetic teeth whitening at a fraction of the price that a dentist will charge. We also only use US manufactured teeth whitening gels that have been formulated for maximum efficacy with the least amount of pain and sensitivity. 

If this sounds like something that you would like to try, please visit our website and let us know. If you are a spa/salon owner and would like to offer this service to your clients, you can also visit our website for more information about adding teeth whitening to your business.

Thanks.

Copyright © Great Grinz
2009 All rights reserved